Our latest campaign, Positive Threads, means a lot to us here at Haute Hijab – partly because it hits so close to our mission as a company, but also because it resonates with each of us on a personal level.

Let me explain: As humans we are multidimensional; the characteristics we choose to embody and the principles and actions we live by make us who we are. But somewhere along the way, especially in Western society our worth became tied to our productivity – what we do for a living, and how much we have achieved. Add to that social media, and we’ve become “a sad generation with happy pictures.” (source of quote unknown) Our achievements now need to be public in order for them to count.

This takes a huge toll on our self worth – especially for women, who also have to battle misogyny, sexism and a slew of other issues (like racism, classism, etc) depending on how many intersections your identity has. As a result – us women – we don't always see our strength, beauty, potential or evolution. We often focus too much on our insecurities instead of our strengths, not realizing the negative impact that has on our mental health. We suffer from imposter syndrome. We have body image issues. We think we are not enough.

But the truth is, you *are* enough. Allah (S) made you, you. There is no more validation needed, other than the validation that comes from Allah (S).

Let me be clear – I’m not talking about superficial self love. I’m talking about the self love that leads you back to Allah (S). It means to love ourselves because He created us. It means showing Him gratitude for the strengths and skills He bestowed upon us by acknowledging them and using them as they are meant to be used. It means not toning down our personalities, not dimming our lights, because doing that means we’re denying what He wants us to do. It stunts our growth, both spiritually, emotionally and practically.

We’re not after toxic positivity, though – self love also means acknowledging where there are opportunities for improvement and following Allah (S)’s guidance to improve ourselves in accordance with His message.

Love yourself enough to know that you are enough. You have been placed here for a purpose. You are valuable.

To inspire ourselves and all of you to break the cycle of self hate and step into our power and purpose, we came up with the Positive Threads campaign and challenge. Here’s how to join:

1. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror and have an honest conversation with yourself about how you see and think about yourself. Then:

2. . Take a photo (like Melanie’s) in a mirror while wearing your favorite HH.

3. Write a positive affirmation in the caption: What are the positive threads that make up who you are? What traits did Allah (S) bless you with that you can use for good?"

4. Post your photo, tag @hautehijab and #PositiveThreads and as a bonus tag others to challenge them!